History Crash Course #48: The Inquisition

The Inquisition sought to expose Jews who converted to Christianity but were still secretly Jewish.

In Part 45, when we discussed the Crusades, we covered the war of the Church against the Muslims in the Middle East. Now we turn to the war of the Church against Muslims in Europe. This war went on for quite some time in fits and starts – from the time the Muslim Moors arrived in Spain in 711. It took a long time for the Christians to vanquish them. The first Muslim stronghold to fall was Toledo in 1085; the last was Granada in 1492.

As the Christian re-conquest gained momentum, Jews in these newly re-conquered Christians territories began to suffer from increasingly harsher persecutions.

In their blood-thirsty vengeance against the Muslims, the Spanish Christians included the Jews, whom they put in the category of infidels.

In 14th century Barcelona, for example, the whole Jewish community was murdered by a rioting mob. First given shelter by some Christians, these Jews were pressured to convert. Those who did not were refused protection.

Writes Professor B. Netanyahu in his 1,400-page work, The Origins of the Inquisition, quoting an eyewitness account of the time:

"Those of them who refused to accept baptism were immediately slain, and their corpses, stretched in the streets and the squares, offered a horrendous spectacle." (p. 159)

Just how many Jews converted in these forced mass conversions that accompanied the Christian conquest of Spain? Estimates rage between tens of thousands to as many as 600,000. (See The Origins of the Inquisition, p. 1095.)

Many of those who converted did so only outwardly, continuing to practice Judaism in secret. In due time, the Christians caught on to these phony conversions and decided to root out the heretics.

The Spanish Inquisition

The Inquisition we are going to cover now is the Spanish Inquisition, which began officially by papal bull issued by Pope Sixtus IV on November 1, 1478.

(We should note, however, that the very first Inquisition actually took place in 1233 under orders from Pope Gregory IX to combat a group of French-Christian heretics called "Albigenses." This first Inquisition was relatively mild and did not as a rule sentence people to death. Not so the Spanish Inquisition which was directed against Jewish "heretics".)

Unlike its earlier version, the Spanish Inquisition sought to punish Jews who had converted to Christianity but were not really "sincere" in their conversions.

There is a great deal of irony in this. First you tell people they have to convert or die, then, when they do convert, you decide to kill them anyway because their conversions are not "sincere."

There was another reason for the Inquisition, which had little to do with the sincerity of conversions. Once Jews converted to Christianity they had an open access to the playing field, economically and politically. And, of course, they prospered mightily. That engendered a lot of hostility from the Christians – a pattern we have seen in Jewish history ever since the enslavement of the Israelites by the Egyptians.

The Christians began to call converted Jews "New Christians" to distinguish them from the "Old Christians" i.e. themselves. Derogatorily, Jewish converts to Christianity were called converses meaning "converts," or worse yet marranos, meaning "pigs."

The basic accusation was that these Jews were not real converts to Christianity – they were secretly practicing Judaism. That was certainly often the case. There were large numbers of Jews who would be outwardly Christian but who would continue to practice Judaism secretly.

Until this day, there exist Christian communities with clear Jewish roots dating back to this time. There are people in the United States (in New Mexico and Arizona) as well as in South and Central America, who are descended from Spanish or Portuguese settlers, and who have strange customs they cannot explain. For example, even though they are Catholics, on Friday night they go down to the cellar to light candles. They don't know the origins of the custom, but they do it. These people are clearly descended from Jews who pretended to be Christians and yet were practicing Jewish rituals in secret.

The job of the Inquisition was to find such people, torture them until they admitted their "crime," and then kill them.

Ferdinand and Isabella

Every American child knows about King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella – they are the monarchs who backed Christopher Columbus in his discovery of America. However, here are a few things that most people don't know about them.

The marriage of Ferdinand V, and Isabella I, in 1469 unified Spain, in some measure making the final victory over the Muslims possible. Prior to their reign, Spain was a collection of provinces – the two primary being Aragon and Castile. When Ferdinand of Aragon married Isabella of Castile, these two provinces were united by marriage into a mighty kingdom.

Isabella was a "fervent" Christian and, in 1478, she asked the Pope for permission to set up an Inquisition to weed out heresy in the Christian world. The Pope obliged, issuing on November 1, 1478, a papal bull called Exigit Sincere Devotionis. Ferdinand and Isabella followed that up with a royal decree on September 27, 1480.

One might think that ridding Christianity of heretics should involve targeting other groups, not just false Jewish converts. However, the royal decree mentioned no one else. Writes Professor B. Netanyahu (p.3):

The royal decree explicitly stated that the Inquisition was instituted to search out and punish converts from Judaism who transgressed against Christianity by secretly adhering to Jewish beliefs and performing rites and ceremonies of the Jews. No other group was mentioned, no other purpose indicated – a fact that in itself suggest a close relationship between the creation of the Inquisition and Jewish life in Spain. Other facts, too, attest to that relationship.

Although the first inquisitors got to work a few months after the decree, it was not until 1483 – when Tomas de Torquemada, a Spanish Dominican monk, was appointed Grand Inquisitor – that the Inquisition got its bloody reputation. Torquemada – who was descended from Jewish converts to Christianity some time back – outdid the worst anti-Semites with his brutality.

(One of the most fascinating and depressing sub-plots of this drama is how many of the major Christian personalities in this story had either Jewish ancestry or were actually Jewish according to Jewish law. In addition to Torquemada, Jewish blood also flowed through the veins of:

Pedro de la Caballeria and Alanso de Cabrera – (both converses)who helped arrange the wedding of Ferdinand and Isabella

Gabriel Sanchez (converse) – chief treasurer or Aragon

Luis de Santangel (converse) – Ferdinand's budget Minister. (Sanchez and Santangel were responsible for financing the voyage of Christopher Columbus – also of Jewish ancestry – more on this later!) (1)

How did the Inquisition work?

Jewish converses would be arrested and accused of not being true Christians. They wouldn't even know who was accusing them; evidence would be presented against them in secret. Then they would be tortured until they confessed to being heretics. Then, once they confessed, they would be killed. The usual form was burning at the stake, though if they were willing to kiss the cross, they would be spared the horrible pain of burning and would be strangled instead.

The key point is that it really didn't matter if they repented - they died either way.

What if some people refused to confess even under torture? Or worse, what if some people admitted right away to practicing Judaism secretly, but even when tortured refused to concede the truth of Christianity? If they survived the horrendous tortures, they would be burned at the stake in a ceremony called auto-da-fe meaning "act of faith."

This went on until 1834 when the Inquisition was finally abolished, by which time every Spaniard came to fear its power. By then the Inquisition's field of operations had spread to Christian heretics, Protestants sects, witches, and even people who read the wrong books. The Inquisition was even able to reach into territories outside of the Spanish Empire. If Jewish converses fled to other more friendly countries, the Inquisition could have followed them, even as far as Brazil, where the last person was burned at the stake in the 19th century.

Expulsion

The year 1492 marked the fall of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula, bringing to an end the Muslim domination of Spain which had lasted nearly 800 years. Spain returned to being a completely Christian country.

Shortly thereafter, Ferdinand and Isabella, decided to throw all the Jews out of Spain. This time, in the expulsion edict, the monarchs were not targeting Jewish converts to Christianity, rather they were targeting Jews who had never converted. Why? The main reason stated in the Edict of Expulsion, signed on March 31st 1492, was to keep Jews from re-Judaizing the converses. Another factor that certainly played a big role (besides anti-Semitism) was that Jewish money was now needed to rebuild the kingdom after the costly war against the Muslims. Rather than slowly squeezing the money out of the Jews through taxation, it was easier to expel them all at once and confiscate the wealth and property they would leave behind.

The Edict of Expulsion declared:

Whereas, having been informed that in these kingdoms, there were some bad Christians who Judaized and apostatized from our holy Catholic faith, the chief cause of which was the communication of Jews with Christians...we ordered the said Jews in all cities, towns, and places in our kingdoms and dominions to separate into Jewries [ghettos] and place apart... hoping by their separation alone to remedy this evil... But we are informed that neither that, not the execution of some of the said Jews... has been sufficient for a complete remedy...

Therefore we... resolve to order all the said Jews and Jewesses to quit our kingdoms and never return... by the end of the month of July next, of the present year 1492... if they do not perform and execute the same, and are found to reside in out kingdoms... they incur the penalty of death... We likewise grant permission and authority to said Jews... to export their wealth and property... provided they do not take away gold, silver, money, or other articles prohibited by the laws of kingdom.

The Jews tried to get the edict reversed, of course. The key player in the drama was Don Isaac Abravanel – who was a great Torah scholar and rabbi. He was one of the great Jewish personalities of this period of time, and had served as the treasurer of Spain, thus being the most powerful Jew in Spain. He tried very hard to rescind the expulsion order, at one point offering the monarchs 300,000 ducats for a reprieve.

He actually almost succeeded in getting the monarchs to rescind the edict, but his near-success only ignited the ire of the Grand Inquisitor Tomas de Torquemada.

According to the legend, Torquemada – who had an enormous amount of influence over the Queen Isabella, being her confessor – walked in while Abravanel was pleading his cause. Incensed, he threw the cross at the Queen, hitting her in the head and yelled: "Judas sold his master (Jesus) for 30 pieces of silver. Now you would sell him anew!"

And so Don Isaac Abravanel lost. But he was so important to the monarchs that they gave him a special dispensation to stay; they even agreed that another nine Jews could stay with him so he could pray with a minyan. He refused. In fact, he became the leader of the Jews of Spain as they went into exile.

The six months between the issuing of the edict and the actual expulsion were catastrophic for the Jewish community. Having lived in Spain for centuries they were now being told that they all had leave! Where would they go? To add insult to injury, they had to liquidate all their assets but could not take most of their wealth with them. They were forced to sell a massive amount of real state, personal goods and other valuables at a fraction of their actual worth. In short, most of the Jews lost virtually everything.

Now, on what day was the Jewish community sent into exile? August 2, 1492. (the original date was July 31st, but Torquemada extended it by a few days.)This day just happened to be the 9th of Av, the same date as the destruction of the first and second Temple in Jerusalem (and many other disasters as we have already seen). On that day the Jews of Spain (some 150,000 – 200,000 people) were forced to abandon their vast possessions and leave. The remainder (around 60,000 though it's unknown exactly how many) stayed, agreeing to convert.

Christopher Columbus

The day after the expulsion, August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus left on his famed voyage of discovery. His diary begins:

In the same month in which their Majesties issued the edit that all Jews should be driven out of the kingdom and its territories, in the same month, they gave me the order to undertake with sufficient men my expedition of discovery of the Indies.

Many people like to speculate that Columbus was of Jewish ancestry, and there is a good case for it. (For those interested, there are a lot of fascinating tidbits about Columbus collected in a book called Christopher Columbus's Jewish Connection by Jane Francis Amler.) (2) Here are some examples:

Although he was born in Genoa, Italy, his first language was Castilian Spanish. Many Jews had been forced to leave Castile about hundred years before his birth and some went to Genoa. (Incidentally, 14th century Castilian Spanish is the "Yiddish" of Spanish Jewry known as "Ladino.")

When he wrote, Columbus made funny little marks on the page that resembled the markings that religious Jews put on top of the written page even to this day – an abbreviation of besiyata d'ishmaya, which means "with God's help" in Aramaic.

He talked a great deal about Zion in his writings.

In his crew, he had five known Jews, including his doctor, navigator, and translator.

Columbus hired the translator, Louis de Torres, (who had converted to Christianity the day before he set sail) because he spoke twelve languages including Hebrew. And Columbus was sure he was not going to bump into Hebrew-speakers. He thought he was going to go to the Far East and he expected to find at least one of the ten lost tribes there and needed a Hebrew speaker.

Furthermore, there's no question that Columbus's voyage to America was spiritually linked to the expulsion. Just as one of the greatest Jewish communities of Medieval Europe is being destroyed, God was opening up the doors of what is going to eventually become the greatest Diaspora refuge for Jews in history – America. This is another tremendous pattern we see in history: God making the cure before the disease.

Incidentally, Columbus's voyage was not financed by Isabella selling her jewels as is often stated. The major financiers were two court officials – both Jewish converses – Louis de Santangel, chancellor of the royal household, and Gabriel Sanchez, treasurer of Aragon.

The first letter Columbus sent back from the New World was not to Ferdinand and Isabella, but to Santangel and Sanchez thanking them for their support and telling them what he found.

The voyage of Columbus is a landmark in the Age of Exploration when numerous discoverers opened up the New World. While no other is believed to be Jewish, their discoveries were, to a significant extent, made possible by Jewish inventions or Jewish improvements to existing inventions.

For example, the key tools of navigators – the quadrant and the astral lobe used during this period- were of Jewish manufacture. In fact, the type of quadrant then in use was called "Jacob's Staff"; it had been invented by Rabbi Levi ben Gershon also known as Gershonides.

The famous atlas that Columbus and the other explorers used was known as the Catalon Atlas. It was the creation of the Cresca Family, Jews from Majorca, Spain. Not only was the Catalon Atlas considered the greatest and most significant collection of maps at the time, it had no competition to speak of. Jews had a virtual monopoly at map making then, culling information from Jewish merchants from all over the known world.

A Blessing

While Columbus was off discovering America, what was happening to the Jews newly thrown out of Spain?

Most made their way across the border to Portugal, but their stay there was short-lived. Five years later, Portugal offered them the same choice as Spain: "convert, leave or die." (Although rather than actually expel them - which would have caused him a massive loss of valuable Jews - the King of Portugal first abducted and forcibly baptized all Jewish children and then orchestrated a mass, forced conversion of virtually the entire Jewish population. He then forbade these "New Christians" from emigrating.)

Thousands of Jews who fled Spain went to Turkey, which historically has been very nice to the Jews. Opening his doors to them, the Sultan of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, Bayezid II, declared: "They tell me that Ferdinand of Spain is a wise man but he is a fool. For he takes his treasure and sends it all to me."

How did the movement of the Jews affect these countries? Spain, which having discovered and colonized the new World should have been the wealthiest of countries, was bankrupt within one hundred years of the expulsion. Turkey, on the other hand, prospered. The Ottoman Empire became one of the greatest powers in the world. The next two sultans, Selim I and Suleiman I, expanded the empire as far as Vienna, Austria.

(Incidentally, it was Suleiman – known as "Suleiman the Magnificent" – who, in 1536, re-built the walls of Jerusalem – the same walls that stand today and define the Old City.)

If we recall the lesson of Part 4, God had given Abraham and his descendants a special blessing:

"I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and through you, will be blessed all the families of the earth." (Genesis 12:3)

God said to Abraham that he and his descendants – the Jews – would be under God's protection. The nations and peoples who would be good to the Jews will do well. Empires and peoples that would be bad to the Jews will do poorly. To quote Thomas Newton-The Bishop of Bristol (1704-1782):

The preservation of the Jews is really one of the most signal and illustrious acts of Divine Providence... and what but a supernatural power could have preserved them in such a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preserved. Nor is the providence of God less remarkable in the destruction of their enemies, than in their preservation... We see that the great empires, which in their turn subdued and oppressed the people of God, are all come to ruin... And if such hath been the fatal end of the enemies and oppressors of the Jews, let it serve as a warning to all those, who at any time or upon any occasion are for raising a clamor and persecution against them.

That is one of the great patterns of history that we have seen and that we will continue to see in future installments. You can literally chart the rise and fall of many of the countries and empires of the Middle East and the West by how they treated the Jews.

One such country, surprisingly, was Poland.

1) For a more detailed description of the Jewish ancestry of these personalities see: James Reston Jr., The Dogs of God – Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors,(Doubleday, 2005), p. 17, p. 30. Jane Frances Amler, Christopher Columbus's Jewish Roots, (Aronson Inc., 1993), pp. 78-83.
So many Jews lived in Spain for so long and so many were conversos that it is most probable that virtually everyone in Spain today (who can trace their ancestry back to Spain of 500 years ago or more) has some Jewish blood in their veins.
2) See also: M. Hirsh Goldberg. The Jewish Connection. (Scarborough House, 1993), pp 110-113.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Rabbi Ken Spiro, originally from New Rochelle, NY, graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has rabbinic ordination from Aish Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs such as BBC, National Geographic Channel and The History Channel. He lives near Jerusalem with his wife and five children, where he works as a senior lecturer for Aish Jerusalem.

In one volume, Crash Course in Jewish History explores the 4,000 years of Jewish existence while answering the great questions: Why have the Jewish people been so unique, so impactful, yet so hated and so relentlessly persecuted?

Crash Course in Jewish History is not only comprehensive and readable, it is also entertaining and enlightening. Novices and scholars alike will find Crash Course in Jewish History to be thought-provoking and insightful, as well as a valuable and relevant guide to understanding the challenges we all face in the 21st century.

Visitor Comments: 40

It must be remembered that it was MUSLIMS who invaded Christian lands first.

The foremost academic on the Spanish Inquisition Prof. Madden:http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/madden200406181026.asp

(38)
Joe,
June 6, 2012 8:46 PM

From the perspective of secular authorities, heretics were traitors to God and king and therefore deserved death. From the perspective of the Catholic Church, however, heretics were lost sheep that had strayed from the flock. As shepherds, the pope and bishops had a duty to bring those sheep back into the fold, just as the Good Shepherd had commanded them. So, while medieval secular leaders were trying to safeguard their kingdoms, the Church was trying to save souls. The Inquisition provided a means for heretics to escape death and return to the community.

(37)
Neil,
January 13, 2011 4:39 PM

Cure before the Disease.....

If you look up the hebrew date of July 4, 1776 , when America declared its independence, you will see that it falls on the 17 of Tammuz

(36)
ian senior,
June 13, 2010 4:50 PM

severe omissions

These articles are usually consise, complete and to the point but this one is not.
The principal financeer of Columbus voyage of discovery was Don Abraham Senior(aka Seneor) a jew who later converted. Whilst a Jew, he also was very instrumental in unifying the kingdom, suiting Ferdinand and Isabella, collecting finances to oust the Moors and presiding over the Hermandad( National Guard)
After the family's conversion, a grandson Pero Nunez Coronel became secretary ro the then Grand Inquisitor(& possibly saved several marronos). A great grand daughter married the Spanish rebel leader par excellence Juan Bravo and bore him 2 sons before his capture and execution by the internal Spanish guard..
Kindly do not leave the name SENIOR out of Spanish Jewish history

(35)
tony,
December 21, 2007 8:18 PM

found this site by accident(or destiny)

I continue to be amazed how history is "adjusted" to fit educational criteria (I continue to be amazed at what 12 years of education failed to teach me, or even mention, concerning the place(and displacement) of Jews in the last 2007 years. Then again, the Pilgrims didn't score much higher, and they were around merely 400 years ago. I guess political correctness has been around a lot longer than we originally thought! I will be glad when we from all beliefs and generations can stand(kneel) before God, and then it will all be corrected by the One who has all the facts.

a blea,
July 19, 2011 4:32 PM

am a blea. blea are in england about 500 year.did they leave spain from inqusition.one blea came to santa fe in 1694 it seem that there arnt any blea in spain any more we think we are spain and jews ladino

(34)
Aryeh Kahn,
November 13, 2007 2:12 PM

Jews everywhere vitally need to know this

It was disturbing to read that many of the major figures behind the Spanish Inquisition were descended from Jews who had converted. Co-incidence? Wikipedia says that the Nazi yemach shemo, Goering yemach shemo, who was perhaps the third most powerful in Germany, was descended from wealthy Jews who had converted. Similarly, there is speculation that even Hitler yemach shemo was descended from a Jew who had relations with a non-Jew. True? We don't know. However, suspiciously, apparently the Fuhrer destroyed all records relating to his ancestry even leveling the town his family came from! Aish really really must do an article on those who had Jewish roots who persecuted Jews chas veshalom. Why? Because irreligious Jews who married or had relations with non-Jews believed that they were not harming anyone by doing so. The truth is it seems that in fact they were triggering devasting harm to millions of Jews. All Jews need to know this and take proper responsibility for their actions and ensure they marry a nice Jewish girl or boy. Afterall the death of millions was not worth a few moments in the bedroom.

(33)
Marc Milton-Talbot,
November 12, 2007 2:13 AM

Many victims of Ferdinand and Isabella

In the Rif Mountains of Morocco, to this day ,live ethnic Spanish people who were converts to Islam and who were exiled from their motherland in the same manner.Also concerning conversos,there are ancient traditions in some Spanish villages of,at a set time of year,lighting a candelabra under a cloth covered table,and also of dancing inside the house with the floor covered in sand in order to deaden the sound.

(32)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2007 12:10 AM

Fascinating article

Fascinating reading. I wonder how the writer amassed all these facts.I have read much about the Inquisition (in Scottish protestant schools) but, of course, we blamed the catholics for it as they killed many protestants as heretics, too.In a Scottish cemetery there is a staue of four boys who were burned to death rather than recant their beliefs at the catholic church's 'request.'When I was young prejudice between catholics and protestants was rife.So much sorrow has been caused because of disagreements about religion.

(31)
David Ben-Ariel,
November 8, 2007 4:13 PM

Shabtai Tzvee Jews

Even as Jews wouldn't appreciate false converts from professing Christianity, I can understand how even pagan Roman Catholics wouldn't like lying converts. Today's problem is with the followers of Shabtai Tzvee who immerse their identity in a multicultural pool to muddy the international waters, like Madeleine Albright, John Kerry, etc. as Barry Chamish courageously points out.

(30)
Esther Rodriguez,
November 8, 2007 7:08 AM

The Inquisition and todayÂ´s interest in Judaism

B"HIn October 2007 I traveled on business to Prague, visiting there "The Jewish Museum", which consists of the Jewish Quarter and its beautiful synagogues. In the "Spanish Synagogue" I overheard Spanish tourists pointing out aspects of the Shul, the silver, the Crowns and pointers. Their interest in these items went beyond what is usual. Being Jewish and a descendent of men and women who fled both Portugal and Spain in order NOT to convert, I was touched by the "pull" Jewish religious objects and synagogues had on these Spaniards who would return again and again, into the rooms where they could re-read, the explanation of the items. "Los Rollos", the "Scrolls" captivated them. It was as if they were suddenly finding in Prague, a long-lost longed-for relative. Too bad, that in Spain itself, no museum exists -yet- to show Spaniards, their enforced lost majestic heritage and maybe even, point them on the way to its recovery.

(29)
Thomas Sebastian,
November 8, 2007 5:12 AM

Thank You Very Much

Dear Respected Rabbi Again let me kindly say your work is really inspiring It is really shame that people trade religion to make a fortune Moreover the paradox is that what god would not or cant do are done in the name of god And today we find a parallelism in the advocates who offer to change their belife for immunity agaist their crime however one can clearly establish the fact that they just play god and thus being smart on the ignorance of others or due to economic gains I do not know if I am successful in puting across my view in a few words and finally A Big Thank You

(28)
David S. Levine,
November 7, 2007 6:49 PM

Was Columbus Jewish?

Although many have made the credible case that Christopher Columbus was of Jewish origin, in the end it really doesn't matter. What he accomplished was well stated in a letter former New York State Supreme Court Justice Anthoy J. Mercolla wrote to the New York Times a few weeks ago:

"It matters not what Columbus's ethnic origin was, whether Italian, Spanish, Jewish, French or Portuguese, or whether he or the Vikings discovered America.

"As for me, it was my father who really discovered America when he alone was awe-struck while seeing scenes of the United States and the image of the Statue of Liberty in Italy and decided to emigrate to our land of opportunity.

"His vision enabled me to become a city and state legislator and a justice of the State Supreme Court. On Columbus Day, I celebrate my father."

In addition to our fathers and grandfathers, every American, and in particular every Jewish American should be grateful that a man of such vision existed and was able to convince two evil people, Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile and Aragon, to finance his voyage, perhaps through New Christian Luis de Santangel's loan to them for this purpose!

(27)
Renee,
November 7, 2007 7:29 AM

Excellent!!!

I wish that our Yeshivot would have a good curriculum for teaching the history of the Inquisition again. It was taught in the Sephardic day schools in my day. There are so many parallels between the history of the Jews in Spain and the history of the Jews in the US.

As Churchill said, "those who do not know history are destined to repeat it".

(26)
Paul I. Roda,
November 7, 2007 6:34 AM

Breast cancer is a "converso" trait, as well

Fifteen years ago I attended a program on hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. This was before the brca family of genes was identified, but researchers had noted familial breast cancer was common in Jewish families. The lecturer also noted she had several hispanic families with similar cancer histories. I suggested she ask them about "converso" activities. It took some convincing that I wasn't pulling the lecturer's leg, but six months later I was informed that four of these five hispanic families had Friday night customs of either lighting candles or baking braided bread, or both.

(25)
I. Gindi,
July 27, 2007 5:35 PM

Shotr & Sweet , Disturbingly Accurate

Bravo to Rabbi Spiro for defining such a horendous time in Jewish history in such a well written and easy to understand format.Too bad and just "tough" on all the Christian comments that always want the Jews to bend. I for one am sick of it. The Catholics persecuted us, tortured us, burned us alive and that's plain fact. No "understanding" can ever bring those people back. And those people were my people, so there.Thanks Rabbi

(24)
Charles Leal,
May 18, 2007 2:28 PM

Excellent

Very informative and very helpful regarding my ancestors

(23)
Anonymous,
February 7, 2007 7:31 AM

cure before the disease

You mention that H' creates the cure before the disease. One example of this which has always struck me, but which i have never seen written anywhere, even in texts such as this that deal w/ the Inquisition and acknowledge that Columbus's "discovery" of an already inhabited land mass eventually led to the establishment of a place of refuge for the Jews of Europe, is that of how Europe was able to so easily conquer America. Thousands of years agao, H' made the sun stand still for Yehoshua- and there is a legend among the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the West Indies- most especially the now gone Aztecs- that one day the sun did not rise. This is the origin of Aztec sun-worship and sacrifices. Part of that legend stipulated that one day a mand w/ hair the color of the sun would come to their land and they should become his subjects. Cortes had orange-red hair, and if i remmeber correctly a similar idea led to Columbus being able to peacefully occupy the West Indies.My point? Even while allowing time for Yehoshua and his army to be victorious, H' was simultaneously laying the foundation for a place for Jews fleeing the Inquisition, etc., to go.

(22)
MenasheKaltmann,
October 12, 2006 1:23 AM

Part of our family ancestors were Sephardim!

Excellent article and thank you aish.com and Rabbi Spira.

We consider ourselves Ashkenazi Jews but our family have a tradition that our ancestors were Sephardic Jews expelled/ thrown out of Spain during the Great Expulsion!

May G-d have mercy on all Israel and may we merit to see the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days!

(21)
Victoria Brown,
December 15, 2003 12:00 AM

A Personnel Journey

Earlier this year, I discovered that I
descended from Spanish Jews. My family
came from Taumulipas and Nuevo Leon in
Mexico (Monterrey). I also discovered
some of our traditions are Sephardic. I
am very anxious to learn more about my heritage. It has been a spiritual awakening for me

(20)
Andrew Alvarado,
June 9, 2003 12:00 AM

Who's next

Based on your article, when will it be the U.S turn for the treating the Jews badly. Even though it may not been as bad as the Inquisition or Poland or Germany,(or even during the "Black Plague" period) BUT the U.S. has not always been angels.

(19)
Jamey Lubeck,
June 4, 2003 12:00 AM

Thank you for distiguishing modern and historical Christians

Rabi thank you for your comment distinguishing between modern Evangelical Christians who are very interested in being a part of "I will bless those who bless you." How we who love G_d's people wish we could have been there in those times to be a help to you all such as Corrie Ten Boom in here day in Holland. As long as we have breath and as long as our descendants have breath you will have friends who will stand with you and for you. Blessings! Jamey Lubeck

(18)
Erika Jannina Sherry,
June 4, 2003 12:00 AM

South America

I am originally from South America and I live in US-NY. It is the most incredibly part of history that I never learned about Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus)and once again we can see how G-d is protecting His people Israel where ever they go and those who help them has been blessed too.

(17)
Anonymous,
June 4, 2003 12:00 AM

Anti-semitism is alive and well today

Dear Rabbi Spiro

This is in reference to Part 46 & 47. Your teachings are excellent. We came out of Christianity a year and a half ago, I used to be a pastor. My wife and I are both Jewish from both our parents. We now are Orthodox Jews. We live in the bible beltway of Canada, and believe me, anti-semitism runs rampid here by evangelical Christians, we are constantly being told that we are going to h**l, we are children of the devil and so on. Tragically, they are trying to run us out of this city of 140,000 people, we Jews are bad influence and we are not to steal their sheep, they are forgeting we Jews do not proselytize. Yet they persist in acusing us, big on the jesus killer one.

With respect to your articles, I do not feel in my heart you need to keep apoligizing for what is the truth, you by no means pointing any fingers, you just tell it the way it is.

Toda Rabah

(16)
Anonymous,
June 3, 2003 12:00 AM

The Spanish Inquisition- in a nutshell

This study was very well researched and accurate, and it was interesting at the same time.

(15)
Anonymous,
June 3, 2003 12:00 AM

GREAT HISTORY LESSON. I AM SENDING THIS (I HOPE I CAN) to my kids. Thank you

(14)
betti miner,
June 3, 2003 12:00 AM

very interesting

Thank you Rabbi Spiro for the very informative article about Columbus and Isabella and Ferdinand, the rulers of Spain. My husband studied the Inquisition extensively in his studies of Spanish for his BA degree in college. I read some of the material and found out that Columbus did have Jewish ancestry and that he was a Spaniard even though he had been born in Genoa, Italy. I am glad that you wrote this article and that it is not derogatory toward the Christians or Catholics. Both my husband and I chose Judaism nearly 10 years ago from Catholicism and never regretted it for one moment. I thank HaShem every day that he made me a Jew and I hope for anti-Semitism to be silenced forever. The Rabbi that we studied with told us that we were joining a very unpopular people. I am glad to be unpopular!! Thank you again Rabbi

(13)
Anonymous,
June 2, 2003 12:00 AM

Oi Veh, Maria

The Pope has a problem-- The State of Israel. The idea that Jews in fact live there and survive against terrorism puts a monkey wrench in his theology. Perhaps that is why Mr. Infallability has bestowed his blessing upon the cursed Arafat. "Esau hates Jacob. . . . There is nothing new under the sun."

(12)
Anonymous,
June 2, 2003 12:00 AM

Another illuminating episode...

These are things every Jew should know, and we're fortunate to have them available here in such an entertaining and free form. The Jewish prospective on Columbus's exploration is especially surprising. Thank you!

(11)
Anonymous,
May 28, 2003 12:00 AM

Please keep up the good work.

It is important for a jew not to forget his background.

thank you.

(10)
Anonymous,
May 22, 2002 12:00 AM

Inquisition

This page was very helpful to a report i had to write and found that all info was ver y accurate

(9)
Mustafa Kilic,
April 30, 2002 12:00 AM

I could not, to my disappointment, see enough information on the Turks who helped Jews to escape the Inquisition Trials and opened them their country,where all nations cohabited free of oppression.
This is important since it reminds us the power is not always corrupt and could be used for the good of humanity.
I condamn any oppression as an unfair burden on humanity and wish peace all over the world
Sincerely
Mustafa

(8)
Anonymous,
October 27, 2001 12:00 AM

'Real' Christians

I'm afraid that I heartily disagree with a notion now popular in Christian circles. It is the belief that Christians who killed Jews were not 'real' Christians. I'm afraid to burst your bubble, but that is patently false. All the Church fathers sanctioned the persecution of Jews in their vehemently anti-semitic writings, which surpass that of Nazi Germany in many cases. The popes condoned the sufferings of the Jewish People as well, and the bishops and monks would stir the mob to a frenzy of anti-Jewish madness. If the pope is not a real Christian, then I'm not a Jew. If you think that such hatred is limited only to Catholicism, one need only glance at the rantings of Martin Luther, and the ravages perpetrated by the Greek and Russian Orthodox on their helpless Jewish neigbours. The Christians who committed these crimes were 'real' in every respect, and they justified their actions based on the teachings of Christinaity, which were laid down at the Council of Nicea. Simply because of modern civil law do the masses refrain from such acts today, and for the deceptive technique of 'winning' converts. It is of a clear conviction, that if the Church regained power in the land, the massacres would resume in less then a decade.

(7)
Dorinda Hauser,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

Very well done! I will share with my Jewish friends.

Thank you for sharing the Jewish history with me. As a Christian, I have never heard the truth about the Spanish Inquisition until today. I live in Mexico where this information would NEVER be available to the people.

(6)
Anonymous,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

great job

I very much enjoy these summaries. A brief bibliography to expand on the topics covered would be great so we could do further reading on each subject.

(5)
Laura Klein,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

Marranos

I enjoyed reading about the Inquisition and feel that more should be told to the Jewish world today regarding what happened to our brothers and sisters not so long ago.
I was born and bread in Mallorca. Many of my class mates were Chuetas, meaning that they were of Jewish descent (and they had to Jewish sounding surnames so I wonder whether they were halachically Jewish.)
One point to mention is that Marrano does not mean pig. It is a word one uses to describe a pig and literally means filthy, dirty, someone who doesn't wash. Sadly, it is a word we often used to insult each other as kids. I make it a point never to refer to the Conversos (or those that didn't convert) as Marranos.

(4)
Bob Burg,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

Fascinating and very helpful!

WOW! What a brilliant article by Rabbi Spiro! Not only did it present history, but, when reading about Columbus and the other Jewish heroes, about how the Jews were treated by other countries and how the results follow Genesis 12:3, it would instill any Jew with great "pleasure" (as Rosh Hayeshiva Weinberg says, "take pleasure - not pride"). Well done Rabbi Spiro, well done!

(3)
Pedro Montalvo-Vientos,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

Question

I would like to know if there are any Jewish decendants still living in the Carribian Islands, such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica. I am interested because I, personaly beleive that I am of Jewish decent. Unfortunatly I do not have a way to prove it. My family originated in the Canary Islands, off the coast of Spain. They settled in Puerto Rico, were I was born. Please respond to my e-mail if you can; thank you. Shalom.

(2)
cornelius hunter,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

well worth reading and not taken lightly

i like the literary style, the brevity
and the directness of expression
much is this is old hat for me but its
presentation is superior to anything
which i have read previously -- ch

(1)
Mike Weinstein,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

"astral lobe"

I enjoy this series immensely, and am very glad that Aish provides it. A small correction: I believe the navigational device mentioned in the text as an "astral lobe" is really called an "astrolabe." Keep up the great work!
--Mike Weinstein, Penn State Astronomy Department

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
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